Play Ball!
by InfinityStar
Summary: This is a light fic, just for fun, as softball games should be. CI SVU crossover. R and R welcome. Enjoy! Complete.
1. Pre Game

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to Dick Wolf. Thanks, Mr. Wolf.

"Hey, Eames!"

Alex Eames groaned as she looked across the room at Mike Logan. "What do you want, Logan?"

"Dobbs and Burke are still on that stakeout so we're two players short for our softball game tonight. You and the Golden Boy want to play?"

Eames shook her head at Logan's reference to her partner. Most of the squad just left Bobby alone. Logan, she didn't think, ever left anyone alone. "I don't think so…"

"Why not?" Goren asked quietly.

She looked at him as if he'd lost his mind for real this time. "What?"

The corners of Goren's mouth twitched but he just shrugged his shoulders and repeated, "Why not?"

"You want to play softball? With Logan?"

His voice dropped as he leaned across the desks toward her. "Don't worry about Logan, Eames. I don't."

That was true. Logan rarely got under her partner's skin, no matter how he tried. Bobby always looked…amused. "You're sure?"

"Don't you like softball?"

"Yeah, but I didn't think you were much of a ball player."

He shrugged. "If you want to play, I will."

She looked back over at Logan. Five years and her partner could still surprise her. She wondered if that would ever change. "All right, Mike," she said. "We'll play."

Logan looked surprised. "You will?"

"Sure," she smiled.

"Ok, great!" He couldn't wait to see Goren on a baseball diamond, er, softball field…whatever the hell they wanted to call it.

"Who are we playing?" Eames asked.

"Manhattan SVU."

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Don Cragen and Jimmy Deakins shook hands by home plate. "Hi, Don."

"How are things going, Jimmy?"

"Pretty good. How have you been?"

"I can't complain." Cragen nodded toward the opposite bench. "I thought two of your guys were on stakeout."

"They are. Logan convinced Goren and Eames to fill in."

They compared lineups in their books, where Cragen replaced the absent detectives' names with Goren and Eames'. "Good," the SVU captain nodded. "By the way, how's Logan doing at Major Case?"

"So far, so good."

Cragen smiled. "He's a good cop. He just needs to curb that temper."

They shook hands again and headed off to their respective benches. Their teams had been so evenly matched the last two times they'd played, they'd been unable to break the 2-2 tie both games had ended in. Now, no one was sure about how they matched up. It was anyone's game.


	2. The Game Begins

SVU won the flip and chose to take the field first. The umpire, one of the court clerks, called for the game to start. Logan led off for Major Case. He made it to second base on a grounder straight up the middle.

Goren was standing near the fence by the dugout. Barek leaned over toward Eames. "Something wrong with Goren?"

"No. He's just watching."

"He's not much of a socializer, is he?"

"Not unless he wants to be. He tends to be more of a watcher."

At the plate, Carver swung, made contact, and sent the ball sailing high above the infield toward first base. Benson caught the ball easily and Logan took off for third. She sent the ball to third, but Logan got there first, though barely.

Back on the bench, Eames asked, "How do you like having Logan for a partner?"

"He's not bad. He's a smart cop. But he gives the phrase 'watching his back' new meaning."

"How so?"

"In case you haven't noticed, he's not the most mellow guy in the world. He keeps me on my toes."

Tom Hannigan, a popular second grade detective that worked in the squad, finished up the inning with a bouncer to pitcher Stabler and a double play at the plate.

"Shake it off, Mike," Barek called when her partner looked like he was going to punch out the catcher. "The game just started."

Logan looked at the bench where his teammates were retrieving their gloves. "Yeah, right."

He trotted to the bench, grabbed his glove and took his place at first base. He looked across the infield toward third, where his partner threw the ball to second baseman Goren. Logan swore when he dropped the ball. He caught the throw from the big detective and angrily blasted it to shortstop Eames. "Watch it, Logan," she yelled. "I'm not in the Bronx."

The first SVU batter stepped up to the plate. John Munch drove a grounder up the third base line, where it bounced over Barek's glove and was picked up by Hanigan in left field and thrown to second base. Goren caught the ball but Munch had decided to be happy with first base.

Benson was up next, and she made it to first when her flyball dropped into the hole behind second and center. Stabler followed at the plate. The outfielders backed up; Stabler was known to hit the ball deep. He caught a piece of it and it blasted past pitcher Dick Fischer. It bounced hard and fast, but Goren grabbed the ball out of the air and stepped on second base, turned and threw the ball to Logan. Double play. Eames laughed. "Good play, Goren!"

Logan threw the ball back to Fischer, but his eyes were on the big second baseman. Damn, he thought. Who knew Goren could play ball?

Steve Patterson, a records clerk assigned to Special Victims', flew out on the next pitch and the first inning was over.

Logan threw his glove at the bench and grabbed a cup. Filling it with Gatorade, he looked at Goren and Eames as he drank, but he didn't say anything. Deakins said "Barek, you're up. Eames on deck and then Goren."

Logan sat down. This would be interesting. Eames, he knew, could play ball. He'd played against her three years ago, but that was before she'd had the baby. He wondered if her game would be off, since she hadn't played for awhile. He watched her warm up as Barek walked up to the plate. Then he looked at Goren, who was studying two bats. He had a contemplative look on his face as he balanced the bats, chose one and tentatively swung it. Logan was surprised to see that there was a natural fluidity to the big detective's movements that his size belied. He watched Goren turn his attention toward the playing field as Barek took her second strike. He couldn't resist. "Hey, Goren? You calculating trajectory or something?"

He wasn't surprised when Eames retorted, "Shut up, Logan."

Goren leaned toward his partner, who had come to the fence to get ready to step up to bat. His voice was soft, so that only she could hear. "You don't have to protect me, Alex. I can handle Logan. Really…he doesn't bother me."

"Well, he bothers me." She glared at the cocky cop at the far side of the bench. Logan just grinned at her.

The umpire's voice resounded, "Ball four! Take a base!"

"You're up, Eames." Goren smiled at her. She picked up her bat and, giving Logan a look that told him she wished she could use the bat on him, she headed toward the plate. Two strikes, two balls, and she managed a double with a line drive past shortstop Fin.

Logan really paid attention now. Somehow a brilliant mind and a jock's skill ran counterintuitive to one another and he expected this to be their first out. Stabler had a mean fastball. Five pitches later Goren had a full count without a single swing. Logan swore. "You're supposed to swing the damn bat, Goren!"

The big detective gave no indication he'd heard, but Eames saw the smile that teased at the corners of his mouth. She smiled to herself. Her partner was toying with Logan…and allowing the other team to fall into complacency. Even at play, he was strategizing and analyzing…and really pissing off Mike Logan. Stabler put a spin on the next pitch but it dropped a little too soon and Goren made it to first on a walk. From shortstop, Fin hollered, "They're gonna win the damn game on walks, Elliot!"


	3. The Last Inning

The sun had set and the overhead lights shone brightly on the field. It was the end of the fifth inning of their six inning game, and the score was tied 1-1. Both runs had been scored in the third inning. Casey Novak had scored SVU's sole run, while Logan had made it home off a grounder by Carver. "Not another damn draw!" Logan swore.

"It's just a game, Detective," Carver's ever calm voice informed him.

Logan bit his lip to keep from going off on the ADA. He'd had a run-in with Stabler after their last game and he wanted to beat the SVU team so badly he could taste it. He threw his hat at the ground in front of the bench in frustration. "Maybe you want this too badly, Logan," Goren observed. "You're too…uptight."

Logan glared at him. "Don't profile me," he growled. Goren's half-smile just made him angrier.

Deakins spoke up. "Ok, boys, play nice. Top of the order—Logan you're up."

Barek and Eames were sitting at the end of the bench, closest to where Goren stood. "Are you trying to piss him off totally, Goren?" Barek asked.

"No. I don't get why he's mad. This has been a good game. The teams are closely matched."

"It would help if you tried a little harder," Eames put in.

"What makes you think I haven't been trying?"

"You haven't had a hit yet."

He shrugged. "I've gotten on base. It doesn't matter how you get there."

"You're not a very aggressive player," Barek observed.

Goren just smiled. Eames looked toward the infield. "Your partner is aggressive enough for all of us, Carolyn."

"He _is_ a little competitive."

Logan popped the ball toward left field, where it dropped right in front of Munch. He scooped it up awkwardly and relayed it to Novak who threw it to Fin on second, where Logan was safe.

Carver was up next. Barek watched her partner take a lead off second, but Stabler and his team were watching as well. Three times, Stabler threw the ball to Novak, driving Logan back to the bag. Carver caught the top edge of the ball, bouncing it to Stabler, who threw it to third, but Logan had decided to remain where he was. That pissed off the pitcher. Logan just grinned at him and shrugged.

Barek shook her head. "He really likes goading people," she laughed. She looked at Goren as she got up and walked over to the bats. "Well, maybe you haven't done much at bat, but you _are_ a good fielder. Not what I expected."

"Oh? What did you expect?"

"You're a big guy, Goren." She picked up the bat she liked and swung it. "Most guys I know who are your size aren't very…graceful."

He laughed. "Thanks."

She looked out toward the infield as Hanigan caught of piece of the ball. It skittered up the third base line, where it was neatly scooped up…foot on the bag…and Logan was out.

"Uh, oh," Barek said. "I'm glad I'm up next. Tell you what, Goren."

"What?"

She looked at him. "You hit the ball if you get up to bat again, and I'll buy the beer for you and your partner after the game, win or lose. I don't care where it goes or what happens. Just hit the damn thing."

Goren just smiled that small amused smile Eames knew so well. "Barek!" Logan yelled. "Quit flirting with Goren. You're up."

As she headed toward the plate she held up the bat toward her partner. "If you don't settle down, Logan, I swear I'll use this bat to settle you."

Goren looked at his partner with a frown as she walked around him to loosen up for her turn at bat. "She wasn't flirting," he said with a frown.

She picked up a bat and answered, "Ignore him, Bobby. He's just mad."

Logan finished his cup of Gatorade and sat down in the seat his partner had just vacated. Goren watched him for a minute before Logan noticed. "What?" he snapped.

Goren opened his mouth to say something, but Eames interrupted. "Don't, Goren."

He looked at her innocently. "I wasn't," he protested.

She walked over to him and said quietly, "He's not in a good mood, Bobby, and you are the _last_ person who needs to talk to him. You guys get into a fist fight and Deakins is going to have a cow. I like Carolyn, but I don't want to be partners with her while you two bozos are in time out."

They heard the umpire say, "Ball four! Take a base!"

"That's my cue," Eames said. She looked pointedly from her partner to Logan and said, "Behave."

She stepped up to the plate and Logan muttered, "What are you going to do now, without your bodyguard around?"

Goren frowned at him. "My bodyguard?"

He nodded his head toward homeplate. "She runs interference for you all the time."

Goren looked thoughtful as he picked up two bats and balanced them, one in each hand. Choosing one, he swung it. "So you _do_ know how to swing one of those," Logan observed.

Goren looked at him, bat resting lightly on his left shoulder. Before he could say anything, they heard Eames' bat make contact with the ball. The ball sailed over Stabler's head just out of reach, dropping to the ground between Fin and Novak. Fin scooped it up and scanned the infield. Eames was safe on first, Barek on second, and Carver decided to play it safe and remain where he was on third base.

Deakins called to Goren, "Ok, Bobby. You're up."

As Goren stepped up to the plate, Logan complained, "Has he even _swung_ the bat yet?"

Everyone ignored him. Both detectives were similarly intense, but while Goren's intensity made people nervous, Logan's often made people want to punch him.

Stabler had fallen into a rhythm; over the last three innings the majority of his pitches had been in the strike zone. Logan was getting more and more agitated as Goren continued to let the pitches slide past him. With a full count, two outs and the bases loaded, the next pitch was the one that counted most.

The fastball left Stabler's hand and he was shocked to hear a resounding crack. He swore. That was a solid hit, a powerful hit. He watched helplessly as the grapefruit-sized ball sailed over the heads of his outfielders and beyond the fence at the far end of the field.

Logan just stared, unable to believe what he'd just seen. A grand slam homer. "I'll be damned," he muttered.

"That's what happens when you underestimate him, Logan," Deakins said.

Eames and Barek walked back to the bench with Goren, who returned to his position by the fence.

"Why the hell didn't you do that four innings ago?" Logan asked as he slid over on the bench to make room for Barek and Eames.

Goren shrugged. "I didn't like any of the pitches."

He smiled at his partner, then looked back out across the field. Barek elbowed her partner. "What's up with you, Logan? This is the first time we've ever even been ahead of this team." She looked at Goren and Eames. "He may be competitive, but he's not usually an ass about it."

Logan hated being talked about as if he weren't there. Already irritated, he turned toward his partner. "Look, Barek…"

"You don't want to go there, Logan," Goren warned. "Not with your partner."

Logan got to his feet and glared at Goren, who didn't move. They heard the bat make contact with the ball. Distracted, the tension defused, Logan turned to watch the ball Deakins hit fall into Fin's glove.

Deakins came over to the bench and picked up his glove. "Let's go, kids."

At their final up at bat, SVU scored one run on a line drive from Stabler. The ball shot past Deakins, between Goren and Eames into center field, where it was scooped up and relayed to Goren. He shot the ball to Barek at third just in time for her to tag Stabler out for the second out of the inning. The next two batters, Patterson and Fin, made it to base, but the third out followed when Cragen popped the ball up between second and third, where Eames easily caught it. The final score was Major Case 5, SVU 2.


	4. Post Game

Goren and Eames walked toward the parking lot with Logan and Barek. Barek said, "We're going to Delaney's. We'll meet you guys there."

Eames grinned. "Ok."

Logan hesitated for a moment, then looked at Goren. "Hey, Goren, I'm sorry I was an ass earlier. You played a hell of a good game."

He held out a hand, which Goren accepted amiably. "Forget it, Logan. I do understand the competitive spirit," he said with a smile.

Barek added, "Yeah, but the asshole component doesn't have to surface every time we play Stabler's team. See you guys at the bar."

They separated and headed toward their respective cars. Eames slid behind the wheel of the black SUV and looked at her partner as he got in beside her. "You're a good player," she said.

He shrugged. "I played baseball in high school."

"I would have pictured you as more of a football player."

"I played that, too."

"You don't strike me as a jock, Bobby."

He smiled sadly. "I wasn't. But it was easier to be on the ballfield than it was to go home."

She looked at him for a moment before she turned the key. She had to admit…no matter how well she knew her partner, there was always more to know. There were many complicated layers to this guy, and she wondered if she'd ever touch upon them all…

She turned the key and he said, "Eames, there is something Logan said that got me thinking."

"A bug on the windshield can get you thinking."

He grinned and went on. "He called you my bodyguard."

"Your _what_? Since when do _you_ need a bodyguard?"

"He said you always run interference."

"Oh. That. It's just that…well, no one really knows you like I do, and it makes me mad when they say things that aren't true about you. I would just rather they all shut up since they don't know what they are talking about."

Goren quietly watched his partner as she drove. "Stop staring at me, Bobby."

His voice was soft. "Thanks, Eames."

She hadn't expected that from him. "For what?"

"For caring that much."

She laughed. "You don't have to thank me for that. Friends care about each other, and that's what we are…friends."

She pulled into the parking lot at Delaney's. They got out of the car and headed toward the building. "We _are_ friends," he said almost absently, as though he was realizing for the first time something he had known intuitively for years. He rested his hand lightly on her back as he opened the door and let her enter the bar first.


End file.
